An Insider's Guide to Mardi Gras Weekend

How to party like a local in the Big Easy.

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Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

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If you’re heading to New Orleans for the biggest weekend in the Big Easy, chances are you've received suggestions and recommendations from the Internet, your old frat bros, and about a dozen bartenders. So, if you’re feeling overwhelmed or a little lost, don't fret. This list of parades, parties, and watering holes has be approved by NOLA locals—every location is worth your precious time by the Bayou. After all, if you spend your nights pounding Fireball shots on Bourbon Street and your mornings (and, let’s face it, afternoons) nursing a terrible hangover, the people of America’s friendliest city would feel partially responsible for not showing you the time of your life. Read on to get the scoop on Mardi Gras’ biggest do’s and don’ts, the best spots to see the biggest parades, super-secret balls, funky live music throw downs, daily dress codes, and where you can grab one last purple drink after the clock strikes midnight on Fat Tuesday (Tuesday, March 4). So laissez les bons temps rouler—let the good times roll! 

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Must-see Parades

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Get Some Culture

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The Balls

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Surviving Bourbon Street

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The Dress Code

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Eat Up

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Leave the French Quarter

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The Skinny on Nudity

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Other No-Nos

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Time to Go Home

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